WO 2010/003603 A1 discloses a shaver which has a Peltier element for cooling the skin of a user while shaving. With Peltier elements, the danger exists that the element may be destroyed by mechanical or thermal effects. For example, the element may break if it falls down or the electrical connections may be damaged by overheating. As a result, the internal resistance and the cooling performance of the element change. This can lead to the situation that the element may no longer cool and heats up instead, such that also the side of the element which is actually to be cooled becomes so hot that the user can be burned on it.
It is the object of the present patent application to specify a simple and reliable method for testing a Peltier element as well as a small electrical appliance with a Peltier element, given that the user is protected against any malfunctioning of the Peltier element.